


Red Pearls & Snowbirds

by Violette_Pleasures



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: (not for Carl you'll see what i mean), Alternate Universe - Vampire, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bathing/Washing, Biting, Blood, Blood Drinking, Body Worship, Bottom Carl Grimes, Carl Grimes is a Little Shit, Dark Carl Grimes, Devotion, Fledglings, Gay Sex, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Newborn Vamp Carl, Old af vamp Negan, Protective Negan (Walking Dead), Sweet Negan (Walking Dead), Top Negan (Walking Dead), Vampire Bites, Vampire Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 00:40:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14630400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violette_Pleasures/pseuds/Violette_Pleasures
Summary: For a prompt fill on tumblr: cegan or grimescest vampire au??Negan finally created a companion for himself, a sweet, beautiful boy named Carl. Carl is young and needy and full of attitude and Negan is trying his best to keep him safe and well fed, but Carl doesn't always make that very easy.





	Red Pearls & Snowbirds

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, okay so this ended up being waaay longer than I would normally write for one of these things, but tbh, I’ve been wanting to write a vamp au since that demon/inccubus Carl Penny Dreadful I wrote a little while ago. So really, thank you for giving me the push to sit my ass down and finally write it nvn things went a little fluffier than I intended, but coming from me, is that really a surprise at this point?? I wanted to try including both Cegan and Grimescest, but that would have easily doubled the length of this fic @-@ so apologies, but maybe next time I’ll get around to it. Anyways, I hope it somewhat resembles what you were hoping for!

 

 

“Is this your room?” The stranger, Daniel maybe Thomas, pointed to the door of room 214, swaying heavily and resting on the outside while of the dingy motel. He was fantastically drunk, unmarried, unattached and uncaring beyond the promise of a good lay just beyond that locked door.

 

“Yup.” Negan grinned as he fished the keycard out of his back pocket and swiped it. With a click and a beep, the door swung open to reveal a cheaply decorated room. The bedding looked like it had seen better days and the tv was an old box type, a miracle it still even worked.

 

“Should we turn some lights on or something? I can't see a thing.” Daniel, he's pretty sure its Daniel, sits on the edge of the bed and starts removing his coat and unbuttoning his shirt.

 

“We don't need lights for what we're doing, darlin'.” Negan flashed him one of his most heartbreaking smiles, amused when the man blushed and hardened further in his slacks. With a cheeky eyebrow wag, he locked the door and strode over to the bed, standing at the foot between Dan's feet. He gave him a harsh shove, sending him back on the bed. “What was your safeword?”

 

“Iron.”

 

“Perfect.”

 

“Now, remind me again what it is exactly you wanted.”

 

“I-I want you to fuck me.” The stranger squeaked out and swallowed hard, watching Negan and not daring to get up.

 

“Sorry, what was that? I couldn't fuckin' hear ya!” Negan placed two fingers to his ear and leaned forward. “Gonna have to speak the fuck up.”

 

“I said 'I want you to fuck me!'” He quickly tacked on a “please” as Negan climbed up over him.

 

“See now? That wasn't so hard, was it?” The dark haired man laughed callously and lightly slapped the other man's cheek. “You like a little pain, don't you?”

 

“Y-yes. I want you to make it hurt, please.”

 

“Mm,” Negan looked the other over cold and calculating. “You're a sick little masochistic fuck aren't ya? Like to get your shit kicked in, huh?” When the man made no move to answer, staring up entranced by Negan's dominance and power, he growled and grabbed his jaw sharp and vice-like, giving his head a hard shake. “You wanna speak up or get the fuck out.”

 

“Yes! I'm sick and like pain!” The guy was so hard he was leaking through his dull grey slacks.

 

“Good boy.” Another flash of pearly whites and Negan slipped off the other man, rummaging around for a moment before producing a set of gleaming, stainless steal cuffs. He made quick work of ripping the man's shirt off and cuffing him to the posts of the headboard. “Go ahead, give em a tug. See if you can get out.”

 

Daniel looked up, nervous and full of anticipation, over his head at both cuffs linking him to the bed before tugging on them obediently. He was good and stuck. Perfect.

 

“Now,” Negan sighed, rubbing his hands together conspiratorially, still smiling. “This next part can be real fucking pleasant or it can hurt like a son of a bitch, so what's it gonna be?”

 

“I want it to hurt real good, sir.”

 

“Ooh, even throwing a sir in there! What a good little pet you are!” Negan clapped his hands together, giddy as a kid in a candy store. God, this had to be his favorite part. “Pain it is.”

 

Slowly, Negan's eyes shifted from oak moss-hazel to a bright, shining gold, glinting like two polished coins and glowing hypnotically in the near pitch of the room.

 

“Holy shit, dude, your eyes! What the--!!” Daniels's eyes went wide with fear as his throat constricted in on itself, cutting off whatever he was about to say. He couldn't speak, but he could breathe and panic started to set in. He thrashed about wildly on the bed, the springs squeaking annoyingly in time with the repetitive thud thud thud of the headboard against the wall.

 

“Aaand--” another sharp look and the man went limp with total body paralysis, “--that's enough of that.” Negan turned and called over his shoulder. “Carl! Get in here, boy.”

 

A young teen with porcelain skin and eyes as wide and bright as the moon stepped in from the bathroom. He moved sedately but gracefully as if the air was thick and resistant to his fluid movements. Glossy waves bounced on his shoulder, a flick of a curl caressing his cheek, as he wrapped his hands around Negan's arm.

 

“Is he ready?” Carl looked on unsure at the man trussed up on the bed. The change had made him leery of just about everyone but Negan. “I'm starving.”

 

“I know you are, baby.” Negan dropped a kiss onto his crown. Poor thing was always hungry, constantly on the brink of what only felt like starvation, just like all newborn vampires were. “He's ready. Lets get you fed.”

 

Daniel peered up at them, eyes flicking back and forth between Negan and Carl, sheer terror written on his irises.

 

“I gave you an option.” Negan chuckled. “I could've put you so far under you'd be purring like a kitten. As it is, you chose pain and now you have to live—well, die—with your choice.”

 

“Quit playing with the food.” Carl whined impatiently.

 

“Of course, sorry darlin'. You know the hunt gets me all worked up. Let me give you a hand, sweetheart.” Opening his mouth, long incisors fell into place, glinting silver in the low light coming in through a crack in he curtains. Negan took one of the man's wrists and bit down hard enough to nick the long, turquoise vein that ran from shoulder to palm. Carl's fangs weren't fully developed yet, still soft like a puppy's milk teeth, capable of giving a nasty poke, but not for penetrating the subcutaneous layer of skin. Cupping the back of Carl's head he brought the boy's mouth down to the man's wrist.

 

Carl latched on with feverish desperation, half moaning, half whimpering with the sheer joy of feeding, of drawing blood by the mouthful in and swallowing it down, warm and thick and so so sweet. The heat of it settling in his eternally cold belly feeling like love, like the raw completion of gulping down mother's milk.

 

“There you go...don't waste any...” As he spoke, Negan wound Carl's hair about his fist, clenching and pulling the hair taut, pleasantly tugging on the baby hairs at the teen's nape. Carefully, he watched for the moment when Daniel stopped breathing, then for the moment the light left his eyes and gave Carl's hair a sharp tug. “Enough, baby doll, he's dead.”

 

The only response he got from Carl was a vicious sounding snarl and him latching on harder to the source of his nourishment. He gave another sharp tug without much luck. Getting Carl to stop feeding was something they still needed to work on; he had yet to learn how to pace himself and drink with the natural rhythm of a person's heart, letting the blood flow into his mouth instead of sucking. He'd already made himself sick more than once due to drinking from his prey after it had died.

 

“Carl! I said enough!” Negan yanked at Carl's hair and managed to wedge a finger into his mouth, breaking the suction and pulling him off like hooking a damn catfish.

 

Small fists and tiny fangs and angry hisses came at him in a flurry, smacking at his chest and face, snapping at everything in proximity to his mouth—a temper tantrum if ever he saw one.

 

“That is enough! Stop!” He pushed his influence into his voice making Carl go still and finally fall limp against his chest. He hated to do it. But sometimes fledglings needed a firm hand. He pet at the boy's hair and up and down his spine in an attempt to soothe as his breathing calmed and his eyes faded from wild goldenrod yellow back to ocean blue. “There, there. Shh...all done. Easy-peasy, right, chickadee?”

 

“I-I'm sorry, Negan...” Carl gasped, clinging hard to the older man. He wiped his face all over Negan's chest leaving behind a crimson painting on his white t-shirt.“I was just...just so hungry.”

 

“I know, baby, I know. Its okay.” Negan cooed reassuringly, letting Carl know he wasn't angry with him, only concerned for him. He moved around to accommodate Carl crawling all over him and settling in a little bundle in his lap.“It takes a lot of practice to be able to control it.”

 

Sweet, summer blue eyes looked up at him, slightly sated but still full of want. “I'm still hungry.” He picked the blood from under his nails with his teeth.

 

“I know. I'm sorry.” He pulled Carl's hand from his mouth. It pained Negan not to be able to provide better for his baby boy. Carl needed to eat a lot more than he could get for him in this day and age. A hundred years ago, when he had been created, it was much easier to spirit people away and gorge himself on blood, maturing practically overnight. But now, with cellphones and the internet and everything else, they were lucky to make off with their one person a night.

 

“You can go get one more, right?” Carl wove some of his own influence into his voice, sounding dangerously sweet and full of poison. He turned and straddled Negan's hips, grinding his ass down gently against where he knew the other's length rested. “Please? For me?”

 

“No, Carl. I can't.”

 

“Can't or won't?” Carl pouted magnificently, fluttering his lashes.

 

“ _Can't_ , Carl. We can't take that risk.” Negan stated more firmly. “You'll have to wait until tomorrow night when we get to the next town over.”

 

“Ugh, you're the worst!” Grousing as only a teenager could, he slid out of Negan's lap, turning his affections off like flicking a switch. Manipulative little shit. There were reasons they advised against turning someone as young as Carl. “I thought you were supposed to take care of me!”

 

“I am taking care of you!” Negan's voice rose authoritatively. “Hunting for you, feeding you, keeping you safe when you can't hold your damn panties!”

 

Carl snorted, crossing his arms over his thin chest and mumbling under his breath. “I could get my own food if I wanted to...”

 

“What was that?” His eyes narrowed minutely.

 

“I said I could get my own food if I wanted to!” Carl raised his voice and stomped his foot.

 

“That's what I thought you said. Then go on, you think you can do better?” Negan rested back on the bed and gestured broadly at the door in invitation. “Be my fuckin' guest.”

 

“Fine!” The teen stalked over to the door, reaching out for the handle. He paused, studying the stainless steel like it held all the secrets of the universe before wrenching it open. An icy gust of winter wind rushed inside and he took a step out the door.

 

 _Shit, he's really gonna do it._ Negan's hackles raised, preparing to jump up and shadow after the boy wherever he decided to try hunting. Seconds later, Carl pulled the door shut with a slam and quickly scrabbled back into Negan's lap, clutching at his shirt.

 

“I can't...I can't do it.” Carl's voice was shaky and watery. “I'm too scared to leave you.”

 

Negan sighed and patted the boy on the back. All young vampires were hard wired to stay near their masters. It manifested in different ways for each newborn. For some it was a feeling of hopeless devotion, they would never dream of leaving their master, for others it was a feeling of love, of a strong need to remain at their beloved's side, and for some still, it was a feeling of fear, leaving their master made the world seem bigger and scarier like everything was threat and they were all alone. Carl fell into that last category. 

 

“Come on, lets get you cleaned up and head to the coven house, alright?” He waited for Carl's small nod before setting him down. He walked to the attached bathroom and came back with a warm washcloth and started wiping down each of Carl's fingers, cleaning underneath his nails and finally his mouth, ringed with blood.

 

Carl sat with a far off look, watching him work methodically. 

 

“What are you thinking about?” Negan asked, glancing up at Carl through his eyebrows with a small smile.

 

“The night we met.” Carl smiled wistfully. “Bela Lugosi's Dracula at the Silver Screen Drive-In. Fitting.” He huffed a laugh through his nose.

 

“What can I say? I like old things like that.” Negan chuckled. “It was the first movie I ever saw.” 

 

“Really?” Carl looked down at him with a mixture of surprise and amusement. “I didn't know that.”

 

“Mm,” He grunted noncommittally, standing up and offering Carl his hand. “It was one of the first times anyone like us was portrayed on the silver screen. Aside from Nosferatu.” 

 

~

 

A short drive later found them at an old manor house tucked away on a large patch of land. The lawn was sprawling and beautifully maintained, trees enclosed the house on all sides. In the summer, it was all green and lush with covered walkways to keep the harsh sun off your skin, but now, in the dead of winter, everything was white and skeletal, but still just as lovely. The house itself was grand, two stories with tall, Greek revival pillars and a widow's walk all sat atop a hill at the center of the property. The steps leading up to the front door were sunken down into the hillside and now laden with snow. 

 

Negan parked beneath the overhang where the carriage house once sat years and years ago. Walking hand in hand, they made their way to the porch and rapped with the heavy, iron knocker. 

 

“Evening, gentlemen.” A man a little older than Carl with long, ash brown hair answered the door with a sedate smile. His sea-glass green eyes twinkled with mischief and ever present amusement.

 

“Paul. Its nice to see you again.” Negan smiled and bowed his head politely, putting a hand to the back of Carl's head, pushing him to do the same. 

 

“Its been a while. Come in, please.” Paul stepped aside, waving the two in. The interior was just as lavish as the outside, fitted in dark mahogany and velvet armchairs. The original chandelier still hung proudly in the domed entryway. “And who is this lovely creature?”

 

“This is Carl.” Taking Carl's hand, he passed it to Paul who took it, kissing the back of it in greeting.

 

“Nice to meet you.” Carl said shyly, watching the other vampire warily. 

 

“You made him.” Paul stated, amused, stepping back to really look the young boy over. He touched a chestnut curl with a warm curiosity, eyes flicking up to Negan. “Finally. I never thought you would make yourself a companion.” 

 

“Times change, things happen.” Negan smirked wryly, quickly changing the subject. “Would you mind extending us both some of your famous hospitality by letting us stay the day here?” 

 

Paul smiled knowingly, the shift not going unnoticed, before turning on his heel and leading them up the spiral staircase that dominated the center of the room. “You're lucky you stopped by when you did. We invited another coven from a state over last week for a little soiree of sorts. Every guestroom was full.” 

 

At the top of the staircase, Paul took them down a long hallway, stopping at the second door on the right and slipped an ancient looking skeleton key into the lock. The door opened on a small but lush bedroom, everything dripping in oxblood velvet from the thick, heavy curtains to the canopy of the antique four-poster bed. A beautifully carved armoire sat across from the bed near a wash basin and a small desk. There was even a marble trimmed fireplace at the on the opposite side of the room.

 

“Please feel free to light the hearth, kindling and logs are right beside it. Breakfast is served at sundown. If that will be all, I'll take my leave for now.” Paul looked at both of his guests and bowed politely. 

 

“Yes, thank you very much for your generosity.” Ushering Carl inside, he smiled as he pulled the door to. 

 

Now that they were alone, he let out a heavy sigh, feeling the tension bleed out of him. Being around other vampires, especially older ones like Paul, always made him uneasy. Most of them were social creatures, but Negan found himself preferring to stay on the outside edges of their community, appearing just enough at just the right coven gatherings to be accepted anywhere when he needed it. 

 

“This place is just...wow. I've never seen anything like it.” Carl wandered around their room in awe, touching the drapes and the canopy, running his fingertips along the dark, lacquered love seat in front of the fireplace. “Can we really make a fire?” 

 

“Sure. Is that what my boy wants?” Pulling him close, Negan pressed his lips to Carl's, savoring their soft coolness. He teased his tongue into Carl's mouth, picking up on the distant tang of copper clinging to the back of his tongue. 

 

“Yeah...” Carl mumbled dazedly as Negan broke off their kiss. He followed after the older man, sitting on the plush, old rug as he walked over to the fireplace and stooped to build a fire. Flames rose gradually upwards, licking out as the grate was pushed into place. He reached a hand out, soaking in the warmth.

 

Negan joined him, sitting on the rug beside the boy and drawing him close again. As Carl watched the fire, he watched Carl, leaning over to leisurely breathe him in and kiss along his pale throat. Carl's eyes fell shut as he gave himself over to Negan, tipping his head back, allowing him better access. Negan hummed appreciatively at the sign of submission, rewarding him with a loving bite to the side of his neck. 

 

“Negan...” Carl breathed, turning to look at his older lover with half lidded eyes. 

 

“Lets get these off.” Negan grabbed the hem of Carl's shirt and pulled it off over his head, following suit with his own. He ran his hands worshipfully down the length of Carl's back, coming to rest at the sloping curve of his low back. 

 

Carl swung a leg over Negan's, settling down deep and rocking his hips slow and rhythmic against his. He held tight to the older man's shoulders, moaning as he grew harder and harder in the confines of his jeans, gasping when they lined up just right.

 

“You still hungry, sweetheart?” Negan purred against Carl's chest, wicked tongue flicking out over a hardened, pink nipple. 

 

“God, yes.” The boy fixed him with a hungry look, eyes shining bright with a golden tint. 

 

“Here,” Grabbing the pocket knife out of his jeans, Negan made a small cut at the juncture of neck and shoulder, tilting his head to the side. 

 

“Fuck, Negan...” Carl sighed in disbelief and want, small fangs slipping into place. He curved his body around Negan's, attacking the welling drops of garnet with teeth and tongue.

 

“Damn, baby boy.” Negan pressed his aching hard on into Carl's plush ass. Feeling Carl drinking from him like this had him growing hard in record speed. He hadn't let him feed from him more than a handful of times since he first turned him, those being when he'd made himself sick, and now as Carl lapped sensually at his neck, moaning and writhing all over him, he wondered why the hell not. “Is that what you needed?”

 

“So good...” Pulling back with a blissed out look on his face, Carl smiled softly and licked across Negan's lips with the flat of his tongue, painting them red. “See? Don't you taste good?”

 

With an animalistic growl, Negan flipped them over, putting Carl beneath him, devouring his mouth with a rough kiss. As badly as he wanted to just rip the damn things, he made himself pause and properly remove Carl's jeans and underwear. In his haste, he simply unbuttoned and unzipped his own jeans, pulling his cock out through the opening. He took up both their lengths in one hand and started pumping them together, a little twist of the fingers rubbing the sensitive spot just beneath the heads together. 

 

Red pearls dripped down onto Carl's cheek from the self inflicted wound on his shoulder as he hovered over him. Carl flinched, reaching up to touch the droplets. He eyed the drop of blood and brought his fingers to his mouth, sucking them clean with a sinful moan. 

 

Removing his hand from their aching cocks, Negan caught Carl's wrist before he could repeat the action and lifted his small hand to his mouth. He kissed he boy's palm, dragging his lips along his forefinger. Making sure Carl was watching, Negan pricked the tip of his finger and waited for the blood to well before sucking it into his mouth with a hum of approval. 

 

“Delicious.”

 

“Bite me.” Carl whimpered, needy and full of want as he reached out for his master with grabby fingers. “Fuck me and bite me, please, Negan...I want your cock inside me so bad.”

 

“Anything you want, darlin'.” Easily pulling Carl into his arms, Negan carried them both over to the bed and laid Carl out across the duvet, taking a moment to shimmy out of his jeans. Pulling open the nightstand, he found a bottle of lube and strip of condoms; more of that famous hospitality he'd mentioned earlier. 

 

“Hurry, hurry~” His boy whined, already sinking spit-slicked fingers inside himself, two at a time. 

 

“Always so impatient...” Negan crawled on the bed and in one, inhumanly fluid motion, lifted one of Carl's legs onto his shoulder and slid inside him to the hilt with a quiet grunt. “...and bossy.”

 

Carl threw his head back, keening loudly, barely having time to move his fingers before he was filled. He lifted his hips up to meet Negan's deep thrusts, grabbing hard onto his shoulders for leverage. 

 

“W-what can I s-say?” The boy panted between broken moans and deep thrusts that knocked the air right out of his lungs. “I learned...ah! From the best.”

 

“You sayin' I'm bossy?” Negan grinned, sucking hard at the side of Carl's neck, earning him the sensation of blunted nails raking across his trapezius. 

 

“You're—hnn! You're a fuckin' control freak.”

 

Negan chuckled, dropping Carl's leg so he could haul him upright into his lap, pushing up deep into him. Carl's hand moved between them, small knuckles brushing Negan's stomach as he pumps his cock fast and hard making his hole clench down even more so on Negan's length. Pleasure rippled unreal through him from head to toe, each nerve ending pulsing and alive with it. He remembered very little from before, but he does remember that sex has never felt this mind-blowing level of amazing. 

 

“Negan.” Carl pulled Negan from his thoughts, gathering all of his hair to one shoulder with a shaking hand and offering up his bare neck. 

 

“You look so fuckin' pretty like this, Carl.” Negan praised with a low groan, threading his fingers through Carl's hair, pulling his head back with a firm yank. His lips tingled, jaw aching to bite, as they caressed the tender skin of Carl's throat with each word. “Submitting to me, showing off this delectable neck of yours, just begging for me to take a bite...” Carl mewled eager and wanton as Negan's fangs dropped in like switchblades. “...just when I think you can't possibly get more perfect, you somehow fuckin' manage, baby.” 

 

Perfectly full lips fell open on a gasp and Negan sunk his fangs into Carl's neck. Carl screamed his delight as his lover fed from him, slow and savoring every mouthful. A wild bouquet bloomed on Negan's tongue, different from what it once was, sweeter somehow, but just as addicting as the first time he pierced Carl's delicate skin. 

 

Carl swore under his breath, his hand moving faster along his length. The boy darted forward and latched back on to the cut, little teeth barely breaking the skin but it was enough to make Negan moan hard through his nose. 

 

The act of drinking from one another in tandem is so new to them both, so intimate, Negan's orgasm hits him full on like a freight train in the dark. The pleasure is immense and blinding and he keeps grinding up into his young lover chasing every last trail of it. A few more thrust and a handful of strokes later, Carl's body tenses, back going ramrod straight as he comes copiously on his hand and Negan's stomach. His chest heaved to catch his breath, trembling with his own powerful release.

 

They sit like that for a moment, breathing each other in, both their necks and mouths a mess of blood, their chest and stomachs coated in release. A bath sounds fantastic but not ever moving again until morning also sounds fantastic. Grudgingly, Negan disentangles himself from Carl who's turned into little more than a purring pile of jelly, all warm and sleepy. 

 

“No~ Stay~” He whines again, reaching out for Negan as the older man slides his jeans on.

 

“Baby boy, we're a mess. I'm going to go get us some water to wash off.” Negan cupped Carl's cheek and pressed a sticky, coppery kiss to his forehead. “Be right back. Stay.”

 

“Woof.” Carl barked snarky, but lazed back on the bed making no sign of going anywhere anytime soon. 

 

Grabbing the pitcher off the vanity, Negan made his way to the bathroom and filled it was steamy, warm water. He threw in a splash of the rose scented body wash resting on the edge of the old claw foot tub and snapped up a handful of washcloths and made his way back to the bedroom. 

 

“You look stupid hot like that, you know.” Carl was laying on his side, head propped up in his hand, looking Negan up and down. 

 

Negan snorted a laugh, striking a pose in his low slung jeans that made Carl titter with giggles. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took hold of one of Carl's ankles and set his small foot in his lap. Again he took care to clean his boy, starting with his legs, working his way up, folding the cloth, rinsing it, folding it again, until Carl was flushed just as pink and sweet smelling as a rose. 

 

“Let me.” A tiny hand grabbed at Negan's wrist when he went to quickly wash himself off. Carl looked up at him through his dark, dolly lashes so innocent and unassuming. 

 

More than a little surprised at the gesture of affection, Negan handed off the washcloth, watching intently as Carl knelt between his legs and started to wash him with same care and devotion Negan used on him. He stood to help Carl with his jeans, letting them pool around his ankles. There was no denying the power trip he got from standing completely nude over the kneeling boy who so dutifully cleaned his master up. Standing on tip toe, Carl finished wiping the blood from Negan's face and gave him a chaste peck to the lips. 

 

“C'mon. Lets get some sleep, chickadee.” The clock on the night table showed it was closer to mid morning than he realized. Negan wrapped his hands around Carl's narrow waist and easily lifted the boy up into his arms, spindly legs wrapping tight around his midsection. He kissed the top of the boy's head when it came to rest on his shoulder. He stood there for a moment, faintly swaying to and fro, luxuriating in holding Carl close like this. 

 

“I like this.” Carl mumbled against the skin of his chest. “When you hold me..'s nice.”

 

“I like it too.” Gently, Negan maneuvered them both into the bed without ever setting Carl down. The boy rested happily on top of him, using his body like one big cushion, snuggling down when he pulled the covers up over them. “Good night.”

 

“But its daytime.” Carl grinned, eyes already closed. “You should say 'good morning.'”

 

“Now you're just being contrary.”

 

“When have I ever not been?” 

 

Negan briefly wondered what he was thinking when he'd thought turning this little smart ass of a brat was a good idea. But one look at Carl's peaceful face and he let out a heavy sigh. It was all worth it. Best idea he ever had. 

 

“Good morning then, sunshine.”

 

“That just sounds weird right before going to sleep. I like good night better.”

 

“ _Carl_...”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Give me a yodel over on tumblr: violette-pleasures.tumblr.com


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